Potting Bench From Pallet Wood

Transplanting seedlings into pots is a dirty job. We normally do it kneeling on the lawn so as not to make a mess on the picnic table. This chore will now be much easier with our stylish ,yet versatile potting bench.

Our thanks go out to Brothers Brewing for the beautiful ultra clean pallets.

A few tools were required for this project.

I'm sure it could be done with more or less depending on one's situation.

These were my weapons of mass construction.

Measuring tape

Pencil

Circular saw

Extension cord

Hammer

Chisel (flat screwdriver in this case)

Pry bar

Shop mate work table

Chop Saw

Cordless drill with screw bit

P.P.E. for eyes, ears, and lungs.

A first aid kit was on hand but happily not required

Raw Materials

Wooden Pallets x 3

Screws #8 x 1 1/2" and 3"

I had some left over pieces of 2x4 from a previous pallet project. I had cut the 1x6 pieces away and set these aside for another day. The pieces left nailed on, need to be removed, and nails pulled. This is where the shop mate work table, hammer, Screw driver/chisel, and pry bar come into play.

The shop mate bench is a wonderful addition to any tool collection. It made scrap and nail removal a breeze.

To make the bench top and back, I split one pallet in two. This required adding a 2x4 brace down the middle. Once screwed in place, a piece of scrap was used as a straight edge to guide the circular saw, while one pallet became two.

I set the smaller of the two pieces on top of the other and screwed them together. 3" screws were used to secure the upper 2x4 to the lower 2x4. Then from below 1 1/2" screws were screwed through the 1x6 into the 2x4 for added strength.

The 2x4 pieces are two long to be legs, so out comes the chop saw. It worked out nicely. The excess that I cut off, will become braces between the legs.

With the cut off pieces measured to be cross braces, the table height is a perfect 32". All attached with 3" screws.

More grunt work was required. Disassembling pallets isn't easy, especially when you don't want to ruin the wood. The three bottom boards made a perfect shelf. Secured with 1 1/2" screws.

The final touches required more boards. To get them I had to split the cross braces apart. Every nail was 1/4" too long. They were driven through then bent over to hold them in place. They didn't want this pallet coming apart in transit. So after much cursing, chipping, snipping, and nail pulling, I had the boards required. I covered the work surface with 1x4 pieces attached with 1 1/2 screws. I also dressed the front edge of the bench top with a piece to clean up the look. I finished the upper edge of the back board with a top shelf and face plate to finish the piece off.

The garbage and recycling will have to find another home during potting season.